Charles Gilbert Sheldon

ADCOCK, ALEXANDER, BANCROFT, DAVIDSON, KNIGHT, PERRY, REED, ROSE, SHELDON

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 10/11/2005 at 13:19:04

“History of Madison County Iowa and Its People”
Herman A. Mueller, Supervising Editor
Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1915

Charles G. Sheldon, a retired farmer of Monroe township, was born in Rupert, Bennington county, Vermont, on the 13th of January, 1840, a son of Joseph and Fannie Woodbury (Reed) Sheldon. The father, whose birth occurred in Connecticut, was a farmer by occupation, and both he and his wife passed away in Vermont. They were the parents of five children; but our subject is the only one living. A brother, M. R. Sheldon, came to Madison county in 1867 and was well known here.

Charles G. Sheldon, who was reared under the parental roof, attended the common schools and following the completion of his course taught for one year. In his youth he also learned the carpenter's trade and many times in his life has found this knowledge of benefit to him.

On the 12th of August, 1861, when a young man of twenty-one years, he enlisted in Company E, Fifth Vermont Volunteer Infantry, and went with his command to St. Albans, Vermont, where they rendezvoused. They then proceeded to Fortress Monroe, where he saw the Monitor, which was derisively called "The Yankee cheese box on a raft," about a week after her encounter with the Merrimac. The company then proceeded in the march on Richmond and Mr. Sheldon remembers how severely General McClellan was censured for not advancing at once on the Confederate capital, although subsequent events proved the wisdom of his course. In the battle of Savage Station, in which Mr. Sheldon participated, only seven men of his company of sixty-seven lived to return from the battlefield and two of those were wounded. He was ill with swamp fever and on the retreat after the battle of Chickamauga he was compelled to fall behind with the stragglers. As there was danger of his being captured he gave a man a gold dollar for the chance to ride in his covered rig used as an ambulance and thus escaped. As he was not fit for duty on the firing line he was assigned to the convalescent hospital at Annapolis and after serving as assistant ward master was promoted head ward master of the first ward in the Camden Street Hospital at Baltimore, Maryland, where he remained until discharged.

On the 24th of September, 1864, he was mustered out of the United States military service, having been with the army for three years, one month and twelve days. After the close of the war he was for some time employed by the government as carpenter on public works at Washington, D. C., receiving a wage of seventy dollars per month and rations. He was in the capital city the night that President Lincoln was assassinated and remembers vividly that terrible week. After working as a carpenter in the government employ for ten months he joined his brother on a small truck farm near Newtonville, New York, but two years later went to Laurel, Maryland, and for several years worked at his trade. In 1876 he came to Madison county, Iowa, and purchased eighty acres of unimproved land in Monroe township and, having erected a small dwelling, took up his residence upon that place. He subsequently added to his farm by buying adjoining land and also became the owner of two other farms in Monroe township. He still makes his home upon his original tract but does not hold title to it, however, as a number of years since it became the property of his son Harry, who passed away two years ago. His widow still makes her home upon the place and our subject resides with her and her family. While he was an active force in agricultural circles he was known as a progressive, energetic and capable farmer and won a competence which insures comfort during his remaining days.

During the war Mr. Sheldon was married to Miss Sarah M. Davidson, who was born in Laurel, Maryland, on the 22d of March, 1847, and died on the 29th of March, 1881. Subsequently he married the widow of William Compton (Sarah Knight), at one time proprietor of the Buffalo Mills. She passed away on the 4th of August, 1889. By his first marriage Mr. Sheldon had seven children, as follows. Harry, who was born in New York, married Miss Lucy Bancroft, a native of England; by whom he had five children; Lillie, the wife of H. B. Rose, of Des Moines; Maggie, who married Elmer Perry, of Monroe township; and Elsie, Fay and Marian, all at home. Hattie, the second child born to our subject, is the wife of Rev. George Bancroft, a minister of the Evangelical Association of Lincoln, Nebraska. Fannie married Grant Alexander, of Delta, Colorado. Rose is now Mrs. R. W. Adcock, of Walnut township, this county. Sarah became the wife of William Willis, of Nebraska, and has passed away. James A. is farming in Monroe township, this county. L. A. resides in Cherokee county, Kansas.

Mr. Sheldon has been a church member for forty years and now belongs to the Evangelical Association although for a considerable time he was identified with the Methodist church. In his early manhood he belonged to the Masonic, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias lodges but is not now actively connected with them. For many years he was a Republican but is now a Prohibitionist, having become convinced that the abolition of the liquor traffic is the most important issue facing the country. His personal habits are most exemplary, as he has never, used either liquor or tobacco. For ten years he was justice of the peace and discharged well the duties devolving upon him in that connection. He has reached the age of seventy-five years and has the consciousness that his life has been well spent and that it has been a factor of value in the development of his community along both material and moral lines. He enjoys the respect of his fellow citizens, who recognize his worth.

Madison Biographies maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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